Well, we have to provide the world's best schools. We certainly don't have them, but that's our objective.

We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life. And it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11, 2001.

Others may doubt us. They may criticize us. They may try to deny us what is rightfully ours. But they will fail. And I promise you, as long as I am mayor, I will never back away from fighting any opponent - or confronting any obstacle - that would prevent our people from achieving all of their dreams in Our New York.

Someone once described the information business as exactly the opposite of sex. When it's good, it's still lousy.

Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.

We haven't had a world war in a long time. We do have mass movements of people out of Syria and North Africa. But, fundamentally, if you take Japan, you're complaining that the economy isn't booming, they'd like to have slightly higher inflation.

We cannot continue. Our pension costs and health care costs for our employees are going to bankrupt this city.